Page:Sanzō Nosaka - A Brief Review of the Labour Movement in Japan (1921).pdf/19

 following figures will show the astonishing increase of strikes since 1917.

In August 1918 this unrest burst out as the notorious „Rice Riot“, first in a hamlet and then spreading all over the country. Everywhere rice-merchants were raided by hungry peoples; beautiful show-windows along the busy streets were smashed down. In Kobe and Osaka a street fighting took place between rioters and military forces. The price of rice suddenly went down. But these wild risings were mercilessly suppressed by summoning armies and by the arrests of hundreds and the mania faded away at the end of month.

It should be remembered that this event is not any sort of social as es revolutionary movement in character at all, but an unconscious and unorganised rebellion of the poorest masses against artificially high prices of rice particularly and against the rich people generally. Not only the majority of industrial and organised workers did not take part